Tumbling method for processing articles



Oct. 3, 1944. J. LUPO TUMBLING METHOD FOR PROCESSING ARTICLES FiledAug.4, 1943 IINVHVTORJ I BY gs ww 554515 was ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 3, 1944UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TUMBLING METHOD FOR PROCESSING ARTICLESJoseph Lupo, Mount Vernon, N. Y. Application August 4, 1943, Serial No.497,310

3 Claims. (Cl. 51-282) processed are placed in a; tumbling barrel or'equivalent apparatus together with a tumbling mixture of the type whichincludes chips, pegs, wooden balls, leather scraps or other similartumbling elements and a suitable compound composed of comminutedmaterials such as sawdust impregnated with a binding substance andcoated with an abrasive. After tumbling the articles with the mixturefor a predetermined length of time, the entire contents of the barrelare dumped into a receptacle and taken to a screening room where theyare screened to separate th articles from the tumbling mixture and thear-' ticles are then replaced in the barrel together with a fresh supplyof clean tumbling elements minus the compound and the tumbling operationis continued to smoothen, burnish, polish or impart any other desiredfinish to the surfaces of the articles. If tumbling elements ofrelatively different sizes or characters to be used, successively,

the dumping of the barrel, screening of the contents and replacement isnecessitated under the present practice, while it is also necessary toscreen the batches of tumbling mixtures to separate the compounds fromthe tumbling elements and the various tumbling elements from each other.

In order to simplify and expedite the processing of the articles to betreated by eliminating certain unnecessary steps and details, whilecombining and rearranging or improving others, the present inventioncomprehends an improved method in which the tumbling operationsareaccomplished without necessitating the removal of the articles beingprocessed from the tumbling barrel until the same have been completelytreated.

The invention further resides in an improved method of separating thetumbling compounds from the tumbling elements of the mixture and thetumbling elementsfrom each other and from the articles being processedwithout the necessity of removing them from the barrel or transportingthem to a screening room which is frequently located at a distance fromthe plac where the tumbling operations are being eflected thereby savingboth time and labor.

With the above enumerated and other objects in view, the invention isdisclosed in greater detail in the following specification, particularlypointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional perspective view illustrating theinitial step of the method.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the tumbling barrel, illustrating thesecond step of the method.

Figu 3 is a similar sectional view illustrating how the next step of themethod is carried out.

Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating the manner in which the final stepis accomplished.

In. order to process the articles A in accordance with th improvedmethod, use is made of a tumbling barrel B or equivalent apparatus whichdefines a confined space or chamber and which barrel or apparatus issuitably mounted for rotatory movement and adapted to be driven in anydesired manner. As shown, the barrel A consists of a hollow body Itprovided with an access opening I l adapted to have optionallyassociated therewith one of a plurality of cover members which aredetachably retained in covering relation to the access opening byclamping devices l2. As disclosed, the respective cover members aredesignated by the reference characters C, D and E, the former member Cbeing of solid form and of a proper size to fit the access opening whilethe latter members D and E each consist of a frame IS. The frames l5 ofthe members D and E have secured therein screen mesh panels l6 and I1respectively, the former having a finer mesh or smaller interstices thanthe latter for a purpose which will be hereinafter set forth.

In carrying out the improved method, the articles A which are to-beprocessed are introduced into the tumbling barrel B through the accessopening ll together with a tumbling mixture composed of a compound Fsuch as sawdust or any equivalent comminuted material the particles ofwhich are coated with an abrasive substance such ascarborundum or thelike adhereing thereto. The tumbling mixture also includes tumblingelements G such as chips, pegs, wooden balls, leather scraps or the likeeither of the same general size or of relatively different sizes,depending upon the processing operations to be per formed.

In its broadest concept, it will be assumed for the purpose ofillustration that a compound F of only one type and tumbling elements Gof ing ll disposed upwardly and the solid cover removed and replaced bythe cover member D.

The barrel is then started again and actuated for a predetermined lengthof time during the initial period of which it will be apparent thatsimultaneously with the tumbling, the particles of the comminutedmaterial constituting the compound and including any loose abrasive willbe discharged through the screen mesh panel l8 and thereby separatedfrom the articles A and the tumbling elements G which obviously are ofa-larger size than the particles of the compound and the interstices ofthe screen mesh panel I 8.

It thus follows that, after the discharge of the compound from thebarrel and the separation of the same from the remainder of thetumblingmixture, the tumbling elements G remainalone in the, barrel withthe articles and continued tumbling therewith will accomplish adiii'erent purpose such as, for instance, a bumishing or polishing ofthe articles. This will be attained without the necessity of removingthe contents oi the barrel and replacing the articles together withother similar tumbling elements as well as the time and labor consumedin separately screening the tumbling elements from the compound as hasbeen the practice heretofore.

Obviously, the improved method may be carried further where tumblingelements of several relatively different sizes and characters are usedfor the processing of the articles such as the elements G and H, thelatter being of a smaller size than the former. In this instance, afterthe articles A have been tumbled for a predetermined length 01' timetogether with the compound F and the large and small tumbling elements Gand H, with the solid cover C applied as in Fig. 1 of the drawing, thebarrel is stopped and the cover C is replaced by the cover D with a thefine mesh panel it which is of such size as to allow the compound E topass therethrough but to prevent the passage of either of the tumblingelements G or H. The barrel B is then started and actuated for apredetermined length of time, during the initial period of which thecompound F will be separated from the articles A and the tumblingelements G and H and during the remaining period of which the articleswill 'be tumbled with the tumbling elements G and H only. The barrel isagain stopped and the cover D is replaced by the cover E having thelarger mesh screen panel II, the interstices of which are of such a sizeas to permit the smaller tumbling elements to pass therethrough whilepreventing the passage of the larger tumbling elements G. The barrel Bis again started and actuated for another predetermined length of timeduring the initial period of which the smaller tumbling elements H areseparated from the articles and larger tumbling elements G, asillustrated in Fig. 3, the said smaller tumbling elements H beingdischarged into any suitable receptacle. After the separation of thesmaller I time.

tumbling elements, the articles A are tumbled for the remaining periodof said predetermined length 01' time with the larger tumbling elementsonly as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The articles and larger tumblingelements are then removed from the barrel separated from each other inany manner desired.

Fromthe foregoing it will thus be seen that an improved method ofprocessing articles by a tumbling of the same has been devised by virtueof which the processing may be carried out more rapidly and economicallyand with far greater facility than under the methods and practicesheretofore employed for this W.

What is claimed is:

1. A'method of processing articles which consists in tumbling the samein a completely closed receptacle for a predetermined length of timetogether with a tumbling mixture composed of particles of materialcoated with an abrasive and tumbling elements of larger size than saidparticles and of smaller size than the articles being processed, thencontinuing the tumbling operation in the same receptacle whilesimultumbling elements alone after the particles have been discharged.

2. A method of processing articles which includes the steps of firsttumbling the same in a completely closed receptacle for a predeterminedlength of time together with a tumbling mixture including relativelysmall particles of material coated with an abrasive and tumblingelements of relatively different sizes with references to each other andlarger than the particles of the compound but smaller than the articlesbeing processed; continuing the tum-- bling operation in the samereceptacle while simultaneously effecting the separation from thearticles and tumbling elements the particles oi the abrasive coatedmaterial and the discharge of said particles from the receptacle; thentumbling the articles and tumbling elements in the same receptacle for apredetermined length of time after the separation of said particlestherefrom; then simultaneously tumbling and at the same time eflectingthe separation from the articles and the larger tumbling elements anddischarge from said receptacle of the smaller tumbling elements; andthen continuing to further tumble the articles with the larger tumblingelements only in said receptacle for a (predetermined length of time soas to impart a further finish to the articles.

3. A method of processing articles which includes the steps of firsttumbling the same in a completely closed receptacle for a predeterminedlength of time together with tumbling elements of relatively differentcharacters andot relatively diilerent sizes with reference to each otherand of smaller size than the articles being treated; then continuing thetumbling operation after said predetermined length of time has elapsedin the same receptacle without removing the contents therefrom and.initially discharging the smaller tumbling elements from the receptacleand thereafter tumbling the articles in said receptacle with the largertumbling elements only for a predetermined length of

